“That’s a hard one,” Eliza admitted. “I don’t know what to tell you. Maybe you should play it cool, for a little while at least. Get her to trust—and confide—in you. Then go from there. But if she continues to shut you out and won’t acknowledge or talk to you then I think you have to address the situation with the information you got from Sterling. Because the problem is, even though she eventually confided in him, she didn’t say a whole lot. He didn’t have much to offer other than she was raped by your friends at your instigation. She didn’t tell him how or why she ‘knows’ you were involved. It sounds to me like she told him very little about the whole thing.”

Zack grimaced. “If I push her, that makes me a huge dick. If I lay off, I’ll never find out the truth. So either way I lose.”

“Maybe not,” Eliza murmured. “It’s not going to be easy, hon. But if you prove to her that you can be trusted, if you’re there for her every single day, then eventually she’ll relax and let down some of her guard. If she isn’t willing to confide in you relatively quickly then I do think you have to come clean with her and tell her what you know. Maybe that will be the impetus for her to tell the entire story. Not the abbreviated version she gave Wade. At some point she has to let it all out. It’s been festering inside her for twelve years. And in that time, if she hasn’t ever confided in anyone or dealt with her demons on her own, then sooner or later she’s going to break. It won’t be pretty. And she’s going to need you more than ever.”

“If I have my way, she won’t ever be alone again,” Zack said quietly.

The door opened, and the two detectives stepped into the hallway, glancing down as if looking for Zack. Zack hurried toward them, his expression seeking.

“Did you get any leads whatsoever?” Zack asked.

Detective Briggs scowled. “No. Unfortunately we don’t have much at all. I think you’ll be of much more help than Miss Hill. It sounds like she was just an innocent woman who was in the wrong place at the wrong time. It was a crime of opportunity.”

Zack tried to keep the murderous rage from his features. But it was hard.

“It’s an opportunity that they won’t ever have again,” he said tightly.

“Can we walk down to the cafeteria and get a cup of coffee?” Ramirez asked. “My partner and I have a lot of questions for you and Ms. Cummings.” He nodded his acknowledgment of Eliza and the fact he remembered her name.

“Yeah, we fucked up, guys,” Eliza huffed out as though it pained her to admit DSS’s shortcomings. “After last time, these assholes just fell off the radar and Beau and Ari were only too glad to put it all behind them. With the complete annihilation of their compound and Ari taking out most of their men, we wrongfully assumed they were no longer an issue. They’re obviously out there waiting and watching, wanting payback.”

Briggs nodded. “Let’s find a more comfortable place to talk. I’ll need about an hour of your time.”

Zack hesitated. He glanced back toward the room, but Sterling hadn’t come out yet.

“How was Gracie when you finished?” he asked the two detectives in a quiet voice.

“Upset,” Ramirez said truthfully. “Scared. Confused. She summoned the nurse when we were finished. She was in quite a lot of pain.”

“Give me just a minute,” Zack murmured. “I just want to check in on her before we go down to the cafeteria. I have to make sure Sterling can stay with her so she isn’t alone until Eliza and I return.”

The detectives nodded and Zack stepped away. He eased the door open, peering in at the bed where Gracie lay, Sterling still standing at her bedside.

Sterling’s gaze lifted and turned toward the door when he heard it open. Zack sent him an inquiring look, asking without words how Gracie was. Sterling grimaced and shook his head at Zack, clearly indicating he shouldn’t come in.

I’ll stay.

Sterling mouthed the words to Zack. Zack stood there a long moment, warring with himself over what he should do. Finally he nodded and retreated from the room, closing the door behind him.

Tomorrow Gracie would be going home. They would be in forced proximity soon enough. Until the time he could bring her to his home, where for all practical purposes she would be a captive audience, he would force himself to be patient. This was the most important thing he’d ever do in his life and he couldn’t afford to fuck it up and lose her forever.

EIGHTEEN

ANNA-GRACE emitted a soft groan as she tried to sit up in the bed. It took forever to move her legs to the edge so she could slide off and plant her feet on the floor.

Once she managed that feat, she stood for several long seconds, grasping the bed rail tightly as she swayed. When the spinning around her abated somewhat, she carefully let go of the rail and tested her balance.

Other than the protests from her bruised, stiff muscles and the fractured ribs, she was fairly steady on her feet.

She took a step, wincing at the effort it took. Then another. God, at this pace it would take her forever to walk out of here. How on earth would she get past people charged with ensuring she stayed? But they couldn’t force her compliance, could they? Surely it wasn’t legal.

All she knew was that if she stayed, Zack would kidnap her from the hospital and bring her home with him. He’d told her that’s what was going to happen. And why? So he could protect her from the animals who’d attacked her? Who the hell was going to protect her from him?

The idea of being alone with him scared her. It should scare her. And yet, there was something about him. Something she couldn’t quite put her finger on. Maybe it was the genuine confusion on his face when she spoke of the past.

She shook her head, refusing to even go there, and promptly regretted the action. The room swayed and the floor seemed to reach up and swallow her. She promptly closed her eyes and sucked in deep breaths through her nose.

“Damn it, Gracie. What the hell do you think you’re doing?”

Her eyelids fluttered open, and she saw Zack standing right in front of her, concern burning brightly in his eyes. She stiffened when he reached out to steady her, but his grasp was infinitely gentle.

With complete tenderness, he started to guide her back to the bed, but she dug in her heels and put a hand up to stop him.

He frowned, but it was more in worry than displeasure. His gaze swept over her, taking in every detail, every bruise and hurt.